Gunners salute fine double for Fábregas

José Antonio Reyes is edging ever closer to his Arsenal exit. Arsène Wenger left him out of this Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb last night because the Spaniard's mind is on a move to Real Madrid. The manager gave the midfielder Tomas Rosicky his competitive debut in place of Reyes, who remained on the bench, and later publicly admitted for the first time that the forward is seeking a transfer to the Bernabéu. That is increasingly likely to happen.

"I feel that Tomas Rosicky was ready to play physically and that Reyes, with all the noises he has made about the move to Real Madrid, didn't have the right mentality to play," said Wenger. "He didn't have the right concentration."

Asked if Reyes not being cup-tied in Europe would hasten a move to Spain, Wenger replied: "Not really. I didn't send that message out. It didn't come into my mind. I just picked a team who I thought could win the game." Would he play for the club again? "I am confident, yes."

Wenger also did his best to rule out a move for the Marseille winger Franck Ribéry, but a £13.5m deal cannot be totally ruled out. "I can say just one thing: I have not made a bid for Franck Ribéry. I can catergorically deny that. Even if someone goes, it doesn't mean I will make a bid for anyone."

Reyes's determination to seal a move to Madrid, quite apart from the Ashley Cole saga, continues to undermine preparations for Arsenal's new season but at least Wenger can rely on one Spaniard: Cesc Fábregas's double sandwiching Robin van Persie's goal in last night's win. Although the Croatian champions frequently dominated, Wenger's young side eventually eased to a reassuring victory.

"If you take the average age of the team, you have to admire how we mastered the game technically but also the structural side. There was a lot at stake and we played very well with the problems we faced."

The club desperately needed good news and unless Dinamo produce an unlikely comeback in two weeks' time, Arsenal fans inside the Emirates Stadium will emit a sigh of relief knowing their new home will host group matches Champions League games this season.

Here, over 30,000 Croatians created a noisy atmosphere and events on the pitch were equally unsettling as Zagreb's Brazilian duo of Eduardo and Etto combined well. The latter created the game's first real opportunity by squaring to Luka Modric, who brushed his shot wide of Manuel Almunia's left-hand post when well placed on the edge of the area.

Etto again breached the Arsenal defence before feeding Marijan Buljat, whose deft flick found Modric inside the area but his shot sailed narrowly wide. Modric was being afforded too much room and he went even closer with a 25-yard drive six minutes before half-time.

By the end of this first period Wenger was roaming his technical area in frustration at his side's inability to combat Dinamo's attacking threat. They sensed a shock and Arsenal greeted the half-time whistle with some relief.

But Zagreb remained on top. Buljat delivered a precise cross for Jasmin Agic but the substitute was unable to direct his header on target, despite being unmarked on the penalty spot. Eduardo was next to threaten, the lone striker racing past Johan Djourou before hammering a left-footed shot just beyond Almunia's right-hand post.

The buoyant Zagreb supporters lit red flares but, with the game failing to match the excitement in the stands, it appeared that Arsenal would be satisfied to return home with a draw and complete the job at the Emirates Stadium.

That, however, was a smokescreen. In the 63rd minute Fábregas moved on to Van Persie's neat touch to send a crisp volley past Ivan Turina from the right of the area. After being mobbed by his team-mates, the 19-year-old Spaniard raced to the bench to accept the plaudits on his 100th Arsenal appearance.

Before Zagreb could regain composure, Arsenal were two goals in front. Sixty seconds later Alexander Hleb's floated long ball found Van Persie racing down the left flank and, before Matio Cvitanovic had time to react, the Dutchman planted a crisp drive beyond Turina's grasp. It was harsh on the home side and they never recovered from the double blow.

The punishment did not end there, however. With 11 minutes left Fábregas, now the dominant force in Arsenal's midfield, danced past two Zagreb defenders before sweeping the ball across Turina and into the far corner.